Wire-fence nail



(No Model.)

J: & W. M. BRINKERHOFP. WIRE FENCE NAIL.

Pdtentd Dec. 5, 1882.

I W/T/VES"SE8 i v I l/VI/E/VTORS. %MM/W@% i I Afi orney.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB BRIN KERHOFF AND WARREN M. ,BRINKERHOFF, OF AUBURN, NEW

YORK, Assrenons TO THE WASEIBURN & MOEN MANUFACTURING GOM- PANY, OF WORCESTER, MAssAoHUsErrs.

WIRE-FENCE NAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,613, dated December 5, 1882,

Application filed June 27, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom t't may concern:

Be it known that we, J AcoB BRINKERHOFF and WARREN M. BRINKERHOFF, citizens of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Securing Fencing Material to its Sup port, of which the following is aspecific'ation.

Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced in withdrawing staples from the fenceposts in which they have been driven in order to support andhold the metal fencing material thereon, for the reason that they are not adapted to be conveniently engaged by the claw of a hammer or otheranalogous tool without the slipping of the latter during the act of drawing the staple.

The object of our invention is to obviate such defect in the construction of fence-staples, and to produce a staple which can be engaged and firmly gripped by the claw of a hammer or other tooland readily withdrawn from the bed into which it has been driven. This object we attain by providingthefence-staple with a teat or stud on one or on opposite sides of the head at a point distant from the extremity of the head, so thattheclaw of the tool can be engaged with the fence-staple under said teat or stud, and the tool then operated so that the claw shall bear outwardly against the teat or stud, and thereby be prevented from slipping while drawing out the staple.

In the drawings, Figure l'represents a flat metal fence-rail, held against apost by means of our improved fence staple, said figure also representing in dotted lines a claw-hammer in the act of drawing. out the staplefrom the post. Figs. 2 and 3 respectively illustrate side and edge views of the staple provided with ourimprovement. Figs. 4 and 5 respectively illustrate side and edge views of another form of fence-staple having our improvements applied thereto.

In these several figures, A indicates the fencestaple, preferably provided with a notched or barbed shank, a, and with a head, a, for supporting and connecting the strand or strands of a fence to its post, the sides of the head being substantially flat surfaces.

The feature constituting our improvement consists in forming a teat or stud, B, on one or both sides of the head of the staple at a point distant from the extremity of the head in such a manner that the same serves as an obstructlonor stop for the claw of a hammer, whereby the staple can be readily withdrawn from the bed or post into which it has been driven. The head of the nail, as shown, is comparatively thin, wit-h its sides parallel with each other, so that the claws of the hammer act solely on the teator teats, stud or studs, on said plain sides at a point distant from the extremity of the head, forif the head were of a tapering or beveled form, to serve as an obstruction for the claws of a hammer to act upon, the head would become wedged between the jaws and there cling after extracted from its seat in a fence-post, and considerable difficulty be experienced in detaching it from thejaws, and, further, the Surface of the head be marred. V

It will be seen from Fig. 1 that when the staple is'to be withdrawn from the post in which it has been driven the claw of the hammer or other tool can be engaged with the staple, the prongs or jaws of the claw embracing 7 5 the sides of the staple and passing between the teat 0r stud B thereon and the post. Hence when the'hammer is operated as a lever, with the post for its fulcrum, and the claw moved outwardly or away from the post, the jaws of said hammer willbear against th'eteator teats, stud or studs, on the staple, and thus be prevented from slipping, and enable the operator to draw out the staple.

In the two forms of fence-staples herein shown the head of one is made hook-shaped, while the other has at its head a pair ofjaws, between which thewire or flat metal strip is received. The head of either form of staple is substantially flat, and the teats or studs are lo- 0 cated on either or both of said flat sides of the head at a point distant from the extremity of the head. v

A fence-staple constructed in accordance with our improvement is of great value in attaching wire or metal rails to fence-posts, since when all or any part of a long line of fencing is to be removed the staples can be readily withdrawn from the posts.

Having thus described our improvement, what we claim is- As an improved article of manufacture, the staple herein shown for supporting and confining metal fencing material to fence-posts,-

formed with a shank, a, and the head'a, said 

